Sophia
by purpleblue
Summary: UPDATEDCHAPTER 16 WE THINK YOU HAVE A GIRL FRIEND? is the prequel. U don't need to read that first, at the moment anyway. It's about alanna & Jon's daughter. .
1. Default Chapter

SOPHIA  
  
I don't own any characters or places that appear in the TP books.  
  
I know I must seem like a big A/J shipper but it changes depending on what ideas I have but at the moment it's A/J but that'll probably change.  
  
"Lass! Hurry up!" Coram shouted to her through the door.  
  
"I'll be there in a minute," she shouted back. "What the heck is wrong with my back," she asked her cat Faithful.  
  
Maybe you should see a healer remarked her cat.  
  
"Very funny. But I don't need to see a healer it isn't that bad," she said getting her stuff together for them to leave.  
  
Well if it's that bad then use your gift he said cleaning his paws.  
  
"I've tried that," she mumbled before saying clearer, "Come on let's go."  
  
She picked up her bags and went out of the way house room down to the stables to meet Coram.  
  
They had been gone three days from the palace on their way to The Great Southern Desert, to be warm. Alanna thought that Corus was to cold for her during winter that was one of the reasons why they were heading south.  
  
They had been riding for a couple of hours when Coram noted that Alanna was being very quiet for her. He turned and looked at her and saw that she was sweating heavily and had a small look of pain on her face.  
  
Coram stopped his horse and said with concern in his voice, "What's wrong?" It took her awhile to realise that Coram had stopped. She looked up at him and said "What?"  
  
"What's wrong? Cause I know something is," he told her.  
  
"It's my stomach and back. They are really sore," she said with effort.  
  
"We'll stop fae a while.' K?" he asked. She nodded. He dismounted and took her reins and led them off the road. She tried to get of her horse and almost fell off her; Coram caught her just in time. Her thanks for that were to be sick all over the front of him. He put her down on the ground and she stooped over clutching her stomach. She had blood all over her.  
  
Coram got out a map in one of their saddlebags and looked at it. "There's a village 'bout five miles form here. Can you make it there?" he asked her taking off his jacket. She shook her head. He led her off to sit against a tree. "I'll have to go myself then," he said.  
  
I wouldn't get him to leave if I were you, Faithful remarked rubbing his nose against her arm.  
  
"Why?" she asked.  
  
Because you are having a baby, he said.  
  
"I'm what? I am not," she shouted breathlessly.  
  
Yes, you are. I wouldn't want it very well known that Sir Alanna of Trebond the only female knight had a child out of wedlock with the crown prince. Would you? There is still trouble to come and if the child's parentage is known they would be killed, he said superiorly.  
  
"No. Coram you can't get a healer," she called after him.  
  
"Lass you're ill. You need one," he said stubbornly.  
  
Tell him, Faithful urged.  
  
"How do you think I'm going to do that?" she snapped at the cat.  
  
By using your lips. You could give the truth? I know that might be a bit hard for you, but just tell him, he said amused.  
  
"I'm not ill," she told him.  
  
"If that isn't ill then what is?" he asked her.  
  
"I'd actually go along with woman given birth if I were you," she told them doing slow breathing.  
  
"What?" he shouted. "You stupid girl how in the name of Mithros did that happen?"  
  
You'd think he'd already know all about how babies get into the world but I'll explain it if he wants? The cat remarked to her. She laughed.  
  
"I would of thought you'd all ready know that," she remarked to him in between breaths. He glared.  
  
"I know that. But you could of told me," he said slightly blushing.  
  
"If I'd known," she tried to say sarcastically but was failing it came out more as gasps. "They're getting closer," she said with gritted teeth.  
  
"I should go get a healer or something," he said looking around.  
  
"You will not," she ordered him.  
  
"Then what do we do?" he asked her.  
  
Get Coram to deliver it, Faithful said  
  
"No. Ahh. It hurts. Don't leave me Coram please don't," she pleaded tears slowing going down her cheeks. "I'm scared," she admitted to him. He came over to her and knelt down beside her and said while whipping her tears away, "It's alright I'm here. I won't leave you."  
  
A few hours later…  
  
The cry of a baby was heard. "It's a little girl," Coram said. He wrapped the baby in one of their blankets and handed her to Alanna.  
  
"Hello little one," she said stroking the girl's face. The girl opened her blue eyes and then closed them again.  
  
"Have you got a name yet?" Coram asked sitting down beside her. Faithful came up to Alanna to see the baby.  
  
She's very pretty. She has blue eyes, dark hair, takes after her father. So come on, what are you going to call her? The cat said peering at the baby.  
  
"I liked Sophia. What do you think?" she asked Coram.  
  
"Sophia of?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Trebond. And I'm going to say that we found her. What kind of life is she going to have as a noble where she'll be shuned because she was born out of wed-lock. You won't tell anyone will you? Just say we found her when we woke up one morning in our camp and she was there with a note saying to look after her as our own, and I said I'd look after her," she asked him looking up and pleading with her eyes.  
  
"I won't tell but will you say what her name would be if you were married?" he asked.  
  
"You'd be called Sophia of Conte wouldn't you?" she said to her while her hand gripped her finger.  
  
Coram spluttered, " The Prince?"  
  
"Yes. Do you still promise not to tell anyone?" she asked.  
  
"I promised not to tell so I won't tell lass," he sternly told her.  
  
"Thank you," she told him giving him a one armed hug.  
  
"We can rest for another hour or so then we'll head to the village for the night. She's lovely lass, be proud," he told her.  
  
I know it's different than my last. I have writers block on my other story and I wrote this one to get the idea out of my head.  
  
If you like it please review as I want to see what people think (I'm nosey)  
  
Thanks for all the reviews in my last fic. (I'm trying to get you to read the other story)  
  
coldbook 


	2. 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that belong to TP.  
  
Author notes: First of all I'd like to say that you can be pregnant but don't know it. It is known to happen. The other thing I want to say is that Alanna had a charm to stop her from getting pregnant but that doesn't mean that if a God or Goddess wanted Alanna to get pregnant they could make her. They could make her only be pregnant for a month or two and just speed up the process.  
  
***  
  
Alanna got up out of the water hole and put on her clothes. She then got Sophia dressed. The baby was a couple of weeks old. They had taken the journey slowly resting for a couple of days at several places.  
  
Faithful yowled a warning for them. They all looked up. Coram mounted his horse and Alanna put Sophia in a special harness that goes in front of her. She quickly got on Moonlight and rode off.  
  
The hill men caught up with them. Alanna was caught in a swordfight with a large man. Lighting broke. What am I going to do? Alanna thought quickly. She looked down at Sophia to check if she was all right.  
  
Alanna reached for her axe and went for the hill man. He dodged her swing and after some shouts from his companions he rode of. Alanna chased after him. He turned round and laughed. His laugh was cut of with a black arrow.  
  
A Bazhir tribe man rode toward her as she dismounted. She looked down and checked Sophia. The little girl reached for her finger and gurgled. Alanna couldn't help but smile. She looked over towards the hill man that she was fighting and saw his crystal sword. The crystal suddenly flashed and Alanna saw a vision.  
  
A dark finger-or was it a pole? -Pointed at a crystal-blue sky. Before it stood a man wearing tattered grey; his eyes were mad. She could smell wood smoke.  
  
Alanna reached for her crystal the Goddess had given her and saw an orange glow surrounding the sword.  
  
The Bazhir surrounded them and the man who had followed her said formally "I am Halef Seif headman of the Bloody Hawk tribe, of the people called the Bazhir. The ones who are dead were trespassers. You are also. Why should we not serve you as we did theses others, Woman Who Rides Like A Man?"  
  
Alanna replied " I hope you will deal with us fairly, Halef Seif of the Bloody Hawk. We took nothing. We harmed nothing, my friend, the baby and I. We are simply riding south."  
  
A man peered at her intently. Suddenly he exclaimed, " She is the one! Halef, she is the Burning Brightly One!"  
  
After much debating they were invited to go with the men by the chief. They went with the tribe they didn't really have a choice.  
  
When they got to the Bazhir village they were given a tent. It was here where they met three teenagers, two girls called Kara and Kourrem and a boy called Ishak.  
  
"You have a child?" Ishak asked as Kara and Kourrem fussed over Sophia in Alanna's arms.  
  
"I look after her now. That's what her mother wanted. Do you want to hold her?" Alanna told him before turning to the girls and offering Sophia for them to hold. Clearly showing that she didn't want to talk about it anymore.  
  
Alanna and Coram were called to the fire that night to decide their fates. It was decided that they should be trailed by combat. Alanna fought for the three of them and won. Coram, Sophia and her were made members of the tribe.  
  
A short while later Ali Mukhtab, the leader of the Bazhir and governor of Persopolis castle where Alanna had met him before came to the tribe. He came with a written history of the tribe for Prince Jonathan.  
  
On the day he arrived he spoke to Alanna after she had come back hunting. Kara had been looking after Sophia while she was away. Alanna came into her tent speaking to Coram. Ali came in after them surprising them both. Kara handed Alanna the baby and went to get them something to drink.  
  
After a small talk with Alanna and Coram he said, " And so you are a knight, and you have told all that you are female. You have a beautiful child." He leant over and gave Sophia a finger to play with before saying, "Yet you are not happy?" Coram made an excuse for him to leave.  
  
"I'm worried about what will happen when I get back. What it'll be like when Sophia grows up. I'm going to have to lie about being her mother for her sake," she told him worriedly.  
  
"You will still be her mother. Her mother is the one who raises her. You." He pointed out. "What about her father? You get to raise her; he has to watch from a distance. You can make her part of your family which is acknowledges her as your daughter where he can't even do that. He has to stay away and the closest he will be to her in her eyes for awhile is Uncle Jon or the King her mother's friend."  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked.  
  
"I mean that you are not supposed to be married to Jonathan. You will both fall for different people and get married to different people. When he comes he does not need to know that you will not be going back with him. Your destinies lie on different paths. You will come to realise that in time. My life is drawing to an end. When that happens Jonathan must become the voice. We have been at war long enough with your King. The Prince is the only one that can give peace if he does this. I must go now. Think and remember what I said. When you write to him will you ask him to come to the tribe and send the histories I brought with me? It is important," he told her before leaving the tent.  
  
The head shaman attacked her a few nights later with magic when she went to see him one night peacefully. Alanna shielded herself and the spell bounced off Alanna's shield and killed him. Alanna was left with the task of being head shaman.  
  
She took on the role of training Kara, Kourrem and Ishak.  
  
Ishak died a few days later  
  
Alanna was surprised when three months after she sent Coram to Corus when Jonathan, Myles and Coram returned. When Alanna heard horses arrive she went out of her tent along with most of the tribe to see who had ridden in. Alanna went over to the riders and greeted them with a smile.  
  
"Come in and get a drink. You can tell me what I've missed," she welcomed all three of them into her tent.  
  
"I'm going t' go back t' my tent and get some rest there. Nice t' be back to some heat," Coram said. He walked past her and whispered, "I didn't tell."  
  
"Thanks," she whispered back. "Are you both coming then?" she asked.  
  
Kara was playing with Sophia on the floor when they came in. Kara looked up and saw Alanna but not the others and said, "Who was it? You were away for ages." Alanna smiled and stepped aside. Jon and Myles followed her in.  
  
"Kara this is Jonathon and Sir Myles of Olau. Jon, Myles this is Kara one of my students, "she introduced. Kara picked up Sophia and handed her to Alanna before she curtsied. Kara left after making an excuse to go.  
  
Alanna went to her side of the tent and offered the two of them a drink. She poured them all a drink and sat down on one of the pillows. Jon sat down opposite her. When Myles didn't sit down they looked at him. "I just came to say hello. Who's this little person? I'll leave you two alone for awhile," he gave Alanna a hug. She gave him a one armed hug back and said " Sophia. I'll tell you about her later. I promise." Myles left the tent after she said that.  
  
"Am I allowed to hold her?" Jon asked smiling.  
  
"Of course," Alanna replied getting up at the same time as Jon.  
  
"I missed you," he said giving her a tight hug before kissing her being careful not to hurt Sophia. When they broke the kiss Alanna handed Sophia over to him.  
  
"Who is she?" he asked sitting down. He played with her and was rewarded by a laugh. Alanna sat down next to him and smiled as she saw them playing together.  
  
"She's your daughter." Jon looked up quickly and stared at her.  
  
"She's what?" he croaked.  
  
"Ours."  
  
"When was she born?" he asked looking down at his daughter.  
  
"25th January."  
  
"You should have said something before you left, or in a letter. She's five months. For the Gods sakes!" he said slightly angrily getting up to stand in front of her.  
  
"It's not exactly something you say in a letter," she snapped.  
  
"At least I'd of known. I would of came sooner," he said sitting back down again.  
  
"I know you would of. I'm sorry. I didn't know how to tell you in a letter and what if someone else read it?" she said quietly looking down at Sophia.  
  
"What if someone else had read it?" Jon asked.  
  
"Only Coram knows she's ours. I said her mother wanted me to look after her when we found her. You know what happens to nobles when a child is born out of wedlock. None of the parties involved get treated well; some throw them out of the family and never see them again. Her life would be miserable if they find out the truth. Think what it would be like for her if she were raised as a proper princess. Think how foreign royals and such like would treat her," Alanna said to him before picking up the girl after she started crying.  
  
"It's like denying her," Jon said.  
  
"No it's not. When children are taken in and raised, as the person's own then they consider the people who raised them their parents. No matter what I'll still be her mother biological or not and you'd still be her father," she said quietly. She handed the baby to him.  
  
"We'll tell her when she's older though right?" Jon asked looking up from Sophia to Alanna.  
  
"Of course," Alanna said smiling at him. He was making the baby laugh.  
  
That's this part over and done with. I'm going to skip probably to lioness rampant or just make a load up from what I remember. I'm aiming to get 6 reviews for the whole story so far not just this chapter by the time I post the next bit. 


	3. 

Sophia- Chapter 3  
  
This series is going to be a long one. I have most of it planned out, but I have to get past all the books because the story where I'm trying to get it to for like the main story to start happens at the end of the 3rd POTS. For a time scale Sophia is the same age as Neal I think. Well I think it could be like 6 months out but that doesn't really matter for this fic she'll still be the same age at one point so she is the same age.  
  
At the moment it's set in TWWRLAM so I'm going to have to skip like loads so just follow from what you remember and I'm you haven't read it you'll kind of get the jest of it.  
  
Sophia is about nine months old. I also decided that the fic's pairing would be whatever I feel like the day that I write a part. Although I have a fair idea where this is going I just need to sort the big holes in the plot instead of the little ones like the pairing.  
  
As soon as I finish the SOTL books I'll skip to the 3rd book of POTS.  
  
Alanna pulled the cord outside the gate of a house in Port Caynn. Marek greeted Alanna, Sophia, Faithful and Coram. He was George's second in command and constant rival. After he greeted them he led them into the house.  
  
After greeting were done in the house George took Alanna and Sophia into his study to talk to her after she started crying.  
  
"Did something happen in the desert?" he asked her trying to meet her eyes.  
  
"Yes, but it had nothing to do with the Bazhir. They treat me with respect." She grumbled. Sophia fidgeted in her lap. Alanna took of her outside clothes and bounced her up and down on her knee.  
  
"You had a fight with Jonathan." He stated.  
  
"Yes," she mumbled.  
  
"He hinted that he was going t'pop the question. Are you tellin' me you refused him?" he asked with hope growing on his face.  
  
"Yes, and I don't want to talk about that anymore," she told him.  
  
"Fine. We'll have breakfast and you can tell me about the little one and the Bazhir," he said softly.  
  
She told George the truth about Sophia.  
  
"Why does my life have to be such a mess?" she asked him between sobs. He put his arm around her and she cried.  
  
"You're life isn't a mess. You have a beautiful little daughter," he said softly. "She doesn't look much like you or Jon though," he remarked. That got the smile out of her he wanted. She laughed.  
  
"She doesn't does she? Blonde hair and blue eyes," she said. The little girl looked up at her from where she was playing on the rug on the floor. She lifted her arms up to show that she wanted lifted up. Alanna picked her up and Sophia put her head on Alanna's shoulder and played with Alanna's shirt.  
  
Alanna was telling George about the Bazhir when he interrupted her, "Alanna?" he said worriedly.  
  
"What?" she asked. He nodded at Sophia. She looked down and saw that she was playing with indigo wisps of fire.  
  
"Oh, dear," she said sitting back in her chair.  
  
"She hasn't done that before?" he asked.  
  
"Not that I've seen. I'm going to have to watch her even more now. She might set something on fire," she said searching her pocket. She found what she was looking for. "Phia," Alanna called. The girl stopped playing with the fire and it disappeared. Alanna dangled the coloured string braid that showed what tribe she belonged to. The girl snatched it out her mother's hand and started playing with that instead.  
  
"What did you expect? She has two powerful mages as parents, one of them's a shaman and she's related to a master, not just your average master either the youngest one in history," he said before laughing.  
  
It was Jonathan's birthday in August and Alanna still thought about him. She knew he wanted to see Sophia more often, she could understand that. Maybe she was just being selfish and not thinking about Sophia. How would I feel if I couldn't see her for months? He is her father no matter what happens between the two of us, Alanna thought one day watching Sophia play in the garden with Faithful. She knew what she would do.  
  
She asked Faithful to watch her for a few moments as she went inside to get some sheets of paper. She came out of the house and sat on the bench in the garden that she was sitting on earlier. Sophia was still playing with Faithful and hadn't seemed to notice that she went inside. She started to write on the paper.  
  
Jon,  
  
I know you will be annoyed at me in more ways than one, especially about Sophia. I know you would probably like to see her, but I can't come to Corus, not yet anyway and I might say some things I would regret. That would make the situation even worse than it is already.  
  
She can say about three words now: mama, cakes and want. Well they sound like that. Her favourites are, want cakes. I'm working on the please, now.  
  
I can't understand what she says most of the time. She speaks to Faithful and he claims that he understands her. He gets her to sit and pet him while she burbles on. She looks quite cute when she does it.  
  
She's full of mischief though. She has to be watched constantly or she wanders of. She can move fast for someone who can't walk yet.  
  
I told her it was your birthday and Faithful then had to explain what a birthday was. I needed to get her to sit still for a while and she doesn't really like that unless she's tired.  
  
She has magic; I didn't really expect her not too. It keeps her amused thank the gods, otherwise I'll of collapsed of exhaustion. She has me ragged from keeping her out of trouble. I wonder who she gets that from? Poor thing she's got it from both sides.  
  
I thought you might like this as a present for your birthday.  
  
Alanna  
  
"Phia, come here please," she called. The girl looked up and crawled over towards her mother. The girl sat infront of her and looked up wanting to know what she wanted. Alanna picked up the other piece of paper and concentrated on the girl. She recited a spell that would work for what she wanted to do. She closed her eyes and concentrated.  
  
When she opened them, on the paper was the perfect image of Sophia as Alanna saw her then. She lightly folded the picture and put it in an envelope along with the letter, for her to send later, through Myles.  
  
Alanna and George became more than friends in the two and a half months that she was there. What he wanted really. In those months Sophia started talking. Her first word was Gods! She said this while looking round the room on Halloween. (AN: the word is important I'll work it into the story later but it's a sort of hint about something I've said earlier.)  
  
Sophia crying woke Alanna that night. "What's wrong? Mmmh," she asked the little girl who was sobbing into her nightshirt. She felt it as well. She had been feeling it all day. Alanna tried lighting some candles but couldn't. She looked for her gift but only found a small amount of it. Her ember-stone was flickering and the crystal sword was humming.  
  
She wanted to know what had taken her gift away and the two of them went to the libraery to read some of the sorcery books which George had there. Alanna looked around for Faithful but couldn't find him so the two of them went without him.  
  
Alanna got the girl some water but she still wouldn't let go of her shirt. The storm outside was just making it worse. Eventually Sophia dosed off to sleep and Alanna go some reading done.  
  
As she had expected her brother Thom was the only one close enough to do that. She was getting tired again as the clock was approaching midnight. Suddenly she heard -yet she didn't hear-a boom, a crash that made even her dull senses quiver with alarm. The crystal sword shrieked. She heard Faithful give an anguished howl. Sophia woke up screaming before Faithful hurled himself at Alanna after he burst in the room. Sophia soothed after a few minutes but she was still crying silently. Faithful took almost an hour to calm down enough to relax.  
  
The week after mid-winter Alanna started planning to leave. She spent one day in the library looking over maps and telling Sophia stories she had heard about the places. The girl listened eagerly.  
  
That night at dinner George asked her about it. She asked him if he wanted to come with her. The new maid poured them their soup and Alanna was just about to eat some when faithful knocked the spoon out of her hand.  
  
The maid ran. Rispah ran after her. Alanna spread purple fire over the table and food. "It's poisoned," she said.  
  
"I think we'll learn a bit more if the noble lady isn't by," Rispah told her cousin.  
  
Alanna and Sophia instead went to the kitchens to see the cook about the maid. She was getting ready to leave for the night.  
  
She gave her the note that was needed to serve the Rogue. Someone called Claw signed it.  
  
George knew who it was and had to leave immediately for Corus.  
  
A week later Alanna, Sophia, Coram and Faithful left for the Desert.  
  
  
  
Sorry, for taking a long time to get this up. I started it a while ago and just finished it yesterday all I had to do was add a little earlier in the story so I could carry it on to the next part.  
  
I should get the next part up soon (I'm on spring break, sort of. We broke up on the Thursday go back on the Tuesday then break up on the Friday for two weeks). 


	4. questions

Jonathan had just finished dancing with Josiane. I hate her, horrible woman. But Jon, smile at her and make your mother happy. Mothers! Jon thought.  
  
"Jonathan?" He turned and saw that Myles was the speaker. Thank the Gods! "Excuse me Josiane," he bowed to her and turned back to Myles leading him away from her.  
  
"Thank you, I can't stand her!" he told Myles quietly.  
  
"You seem to be fooling everyone," Myles remarked.  
  
"That's one thing. Mother will be happy," he said looking about him. When Myles gave him a questioning look he said, "She likes her, in the sense of future daughter in law." Jon winced at the thought and Myles laughed when he did so.  
  
"Were you wanting something?" Jon asked.  
  
"Yes, actually. I got this, this morning," Myles said handing him an envelope before he went to speak to someone else.  
  
Jon looked at the envelope; it was addressed to him in Alanna's handwriting. He went out to one of the balconies to read it. He wanted some peace to read it. It might be about Sophia he hoped while smiling.  
  
He sat down on one of the benches there and opened the envelope. There were two pieces of paper in it: he read the first one. It was a letter. It read:  
  
Jon,  
  
I know you will be annoyed at me in more ways than one, especially about Sophia. I know you would probably like to see her, but I can't come to Corus, not yet anyway and I might say some things I would regret. That would make the situation even worse than it is already.  
  
She can say about three words now: mama, cakes and want. Well they sound like that. Her favourites are, want cakes. I'm working on the please, now.  
  
I can't understand what she says most of the time. She speaks to Faithful and he claims that he understands her. He gets her to sit and pet him while she burbles on. She looks quite cute when she does it.  
  
She's full of mischief though. She has to be watched constantly or she wanders of. She can move fast for someone who can't walk yet.  
  
I told her it was your birthday and Faithful then had to explain what a birthday was. I needed to get her to sit still for a while and she doesn't really like that unless she's tired.  
  
She has magic; I didn't really expect her not too. It keeps her amused thank the gods, otherwise I'll of collapsed of exhaustion. She has me ragged from keeping her out of trouble. I wonder whom she gets that from? Poor thing she's got it from both sides.  
  
I thought you might like this as a present for your birthday.  
  
Alanna  
  
He looked at the other piece of paper it was a portrait of a little girl sitting on the grass, looking up at the person who drew it and smiling. It's a picture of Sophia he realised. She's got so big, he thought.  
  
He stood up and leaned on the balcony and watched the people in the gardens.  
  
"What's wrong with Jon?" Raoul asked Gary. They were watching him on the balcony. He seemed upset about something. They saw him go outside and he seemed upset a little then, then he read something and he seemed even more upset now.  
  
"I don't know. He was like this when he came back from the Bazhir, but I thought that could have just been because he's now the Voice. I think it's something to do with Alanna," Gary told him.  
  
"You could be right about that. Remember what he was like when we asked about her? All we got out of him was she's fine, nothing more and he was agitated. We might get somewhere if we asked Myles what happened," Raoul said thoughtfully.  
  
The two of them left to find Myles. He was speaking to Duke Baird.  
  
"Myles can we speak to you for a few minutes please?" Gary asked politely.  
  
"Excuse me Baird," He said turning to the two of them and asking, "What is it?"  
  
"Not here," Raoul told him leading him to a quite corner.  
  
"It's about Jon," Gary said once they were out of anyone's earshot.  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"What happened in the Desert?" Raoul asked bluntly.  
  
"Alanna and Jon had a fight. They split up," Myles said quietly.  
  
"We've seen the two of after a fight and they aren't like this. When she first left he wasn't like this either," Raoul said.  
  
"There's something else which is making him like this. We know him. We knew it had something to do with Alanna and the Desert but that's not all. What is it you aren't telling us?" Gary asked the man.  
  
"Ask Jon about Sophia," Myles told them before leaving.  
  
"Myles wait!" Gary said reaching out for the man's arm. He turned and Gary asked, "Who's Sophia?"  
  
"Ask him. It isn't something I should tell you about. You need to hear it from him," and with that Myles left the two of them to ponder what he said.  
  
"He cheated on her. I can't believe he would so that," Gary told Raoul in disbelieve.  
  
"We don't know that. Myles never said that. All he said was to ask him about her and that it should come from him. We can't jump to conclusions about it until we ask him. So lets go do that now," Gary was told reasonably. Gary was left to catch up with Raoul when he walked off to find Jon.  
  
They found him on the balcony where they had seen him last. Jon heard the door open and turned to see who it was, praying that it wasn't Josiane. It wasn't it was Gary and Raoul.  
  
When he saw who it was he quickly put the letter and picture in his pocket trying not to let them see what he was doing. They pretended that they hadn't. He turned round fully towards them and leant back against the balcony once more. He tried to give them a cheerful smile but they saw through it.  
  
"We were looking for you," Gary remarked.  
  
"Really?" Jon asked them seeing that the smile didn't fool them. He was forgetting that they knew him well enough that it wouldn't fool them that he was in a happy mood.  
  
"We were wanting to speak to you," Raoul told him.  
  
"Really?" Jon said suspiciously while standing up straight. Gary and Raoul exchanged a worried glance; they had set out with this conversation wrong if they wanted to find out who she was.  
  
May as well just ask him now thought Gary. Just get on with it.  
  
"Who's Sophia?" Gary demanded.  
  
Sorry this part took so long to get out, I only wrote a page today though. Thanks to Lady Alanna I think it was you who told me 173 times to hurry. I forgot that I'd even started to write this part.  
  
I was kept busy, the computer that I'm connected to the net with got a virus and had to be formatted so I lost everything I had on there. I was busy getting things back on that. But luckily I don't write on that computer.  
  
I also had school. Stupid holidays this year! We got Easter then had to go back to school on the Tuesday, and then we broke up on the Friday for two weeks.  
  
Sophia is the same age as Neal. I worked out that she was 3 years older than Roald and so is Neal. 


	5. not yet getting answers

"How do you know about Sophia?" Jon demanded quite angry now. The two of them stepped back, surprised at how angry he was. They had never seen him this worked up before about anything.  
  
"Myles told us," Gary said cautiously.  
  
"What did he tell you?" Jon demanded.  
  
"He said that you and Lanna had a fight in the Desert, that's why you were worked up," Raoul paused seeing the glare he was getting from Jon. He gulped.  
  
"What else?" he prompted.  
  
"We knew that wasn't just it so I asked what else was getting you like this," Gary told him. Jon glared even harder at him than Raoul.  
  
"He knew that we wouldn't let him go until he told us so he said, that we should ask you about Sophia because it was something that should come from you not him," Raoul carried on for Gary.  
  
"How dare you snoop about me to someone else about what goes on in my private life. The only people who had a right to tell you about her was Alanna and I, NOONE else. I can't believe the two of you of all people went behind my back. You should have asked me, not someone else first," Jon said angrily. He stormed off quickly after he said that.  
  
What Jon didn't realise was that when he walked off was that the letter and picture of Sophia fell out of his pocket, since he had hastily and carelessly put it in his pocket.  
  
The two of them watched him storm off. They both looked down upset at how it had gone. Something caught Gary's eye on the ground where Jon had stood. He walked over and picked it up. It was two pieces of paper folded together. The side that he saw was a letter he realised. He saw that it was to Jon and curiosity took over. The handwriting was familiar he realised. It was Alanna's. He read the letter.  
  
Jon,  
  
I know you will be annoyed at me in more ways than one, especially about Sophia. I know you would probably like to see her, but I can't come to Corus, not yet anyway and I might say some things I would regret. That would make the situation even worse than it is already.  
  
She can say about three words now: mama, cakes and want. Well they sound like that. Her favourites are, want cakes. I'm working on the please, now.  
  
I can't understand what she says most of the time. She speaks to Faithful and he claims that he understands her. He gets her to sit and pet him while she burbles on. She looks quite cute when she does it.  
  
She's full of mischief though. She has to be watched constantly or she wanders of. She can move fast for someone who can't walk yet.  
  
I told her it was your birthday and Faithful then had to explain what a birthday was. I needed to get her to sit still for a while and she doesn't really like that unless she's tired.  
  
She has magic; I didn't really expect her not too. It keeps her amused thank the gods, otherwise I'll of collapsed of exhaustion. She has me ragged from keeping her out of trouble. I wonder whom she gets that from? Poor thing she's got it from both sides.  
  
I thought you might like this as a present for your birthday.  
  
Alanna  
  
Gary frowned and handed the top piece of paper to Raoul while he looked at the other. It was a picture of a very young girl. Sophia he realised. She was a pretty baby. She had dark blue eyes; her dark hair had gone a dark blond colour, a small pert nose and a small mouth. The girl was sitting on the grass and looking up smiling at the artist. She had on a light blue cotton dress that suited her very well. He passed the portrait over to Raoul then asked him what he thought about it all.  
  
"I'm not sure. The portrait is Sophia I think. It seems that Alanna has her in her care. She says that she can speak a few words almost. The most interesting one though I think is mama don't you agree?" Raoul told him.  
  
Gary quickly looked at Raoul, "You aren't thinking what I'm thinking are you?"  
  
"NO! Really? The letter would make sense now wouldn't it?" Raoul said slightly shocked.  
  
"We should ask him," Gary said solemnly.  
  
I'm basing Sophia on Charisma Carpenter (the Buffy Cordelia not the Angel one. The difference is the hair colour) I got two parts up in one day! It's like a miracle. 


	6. Getting some answers

Jonathan stormed through the ballroom. He slammed the door to one of the outside balconies and stomped through the ballroom to the other side of the ballroom. People stared as he moved through the room. Most of the people in the room had ever seen him in a temper about anything.  
  
The King and Queen looked at each other and frowned. The King got up to go see what was wrong with him and started excusing himself. He walked out of the door that Jonathan had gone out of. He stood on the balcony; he was the only one present. It was one of the higher balconies and was on the second floor as it was on the river Olorun side.  
  
The King looked down at the river and saw a figure going along the side of the building. The King went over to the side of the balcony where the person was. It looked like Jonathan to the King. How'd he get down there? The King thought. He peered at the ground over the edge and when he looked back up again, ivy on the side of the wall caught his eye. He couldn't of used that to climb down. But it is the only way to get down from here. He thought.  
  
Roald looked behind him into the ballroom, he couldn't see inside, so nobody would have been able to see if he went down the ivy. What is wrong with him? Roald thought.  
  
Roald turned and went back inside to speak to his wife, she would want to know what was happening and he was afraid to say he doesn't know. She's going to kill me he thought.  
  
He went back to his wife and sat next her on their thrones. He shook his head, "I got out there, and he had gone. Looked like he climbed down the wall." Roald winced internally knowing what would come.  
  
"What!" she whispered angrily. They both turned and smiled at someone who was paying their respects to them. It was then that Roald noticed Raoul and his nephew come inconspicuously in the door from one of the balconies. It was the one that Jonathan had come from before going out the other door.  
  
Roald kept on looking at the pair, waiting for one of them to look their way to make eye contact. Roald thought it would be Gary who made eye contact and it was. The two of them came in the room and looked about them to see if they had been spotted coming in the room. Gary turned and said something to the other man. They both craned their necks and looked around the room as though they were looking for something or someone.  
  
As Gary was doing this he looked towards the throne and saw that Roald was looking at them with a sceptical look on his face. He caught his eye and Gary looked like a frightened deer caught by a hunter.  
  
He mouthed stay there to Gary, before excusing himself from the people Lianne and he were talking to. "I'm going to find out what's wrong. The two of t hem look like they know what's happening," he told her looking at the two of them while he was talking.  
  
"Gary, Raoul!" he said sarcastically pleased. The two of them bowed and exchanged worried glances.  
  
"Uncle," Gary said matching his cheerful tone.  
  
"Let's go outside shall we? I think we should have a nice little chat and I think the two of you can help me," Roald told them guiding the two of them back onto the balcony.  
  
"How can we help you Uncle?" Gary asked him once they were outside.  
  
"Well, as you already might know, Jonathan just stormed through the room and out the other side onto the south balcony and then vanished. Now you may be able to explain both, I am not sure but I hope you will have a try. Seeing how the two of you came out a few minutes later." Roald waited for the two of them to tell him something.  
  
Raoul sighed and said, "That's what we are trying to find out, your majesty. When we asked him what was wrong he got angry and left."  
  
"How did he get down of the balcony though? I saw him down on the grass, sulking away to somewhere. You don't all know a passageway out of there do you? I thought I knew all of them out off that room."  
  
Gary covered his laugh under his hand. His father had told him stories about Roald not liking balls or parties. Jon was the opposite, which Gary thought funny. Roald looked at Gary knowing that he was laughing.  
  
"He probably climbed down. There's ivy going up that wall isn't there?" Gary said. He carried on without an answer. "He definitely climbed down then, with ivy it would be an easier climb."  
  
"That wall is an easy climb. I've done it a couple of times. So have you!" Raoul told Gary forgetting about the King.  
  
"There wasn't ivy then," Gary retorted then he realised that the King was still there. He smiled at the King and said, "He'll be alright. You know what he's like, by tomorrow he will be calm again and we might find out what's wrong."  
  
"You'll tell me what you find out?" the King asked them.  
  
"Of course," Gary said bowing with Raoul following him. The King left.  
  
" I think I know where he is. Let's go find him," Gary told him leaving the balcony, by the steps.  
  
They found him at the top of Balor's Needle. He was sitting at the top on the ground looking up at the stars.  
  
"Hi," Gary ventured. He turned and saw who it was.  
  
"Sorry about earlier," Jon told them. The two of them went and sat beside him, one on either side.  
  
"You dropped this," Raoul said handing over the letter and picture. He looked at the letter and picture then looked at both of them before taking the paper.  
  
"Is she yours?" Raoul asked quietly. Gary glared at him for not using tact. Jon looked down and then back up again. "Yes," was the barely audibly reply they got from Jon.  
  
"You should have said something,"  
  
"Gary, what was I going to say? Oh, by the way I have a daughter."  
  
"Well, yeah," Gary said. They all laughed.  
  
"So is she a cutie?" Gary asked.  
  
"Yeah," Jon said smiling at the memory.  
  
"You're biased, that doesn't count. We are just going to have to wait and see ourselves. Have you thought what you are going to tell your parents?" Gary said then after the puzzled look from Jon.  
  
Raoul carried on. "Your father wanted to know what was wrong. He asked us after you stormed through the room. He followed you out onto the balcony and saw you walking away on the grass. He thought it was quite interesting how you got off the balcony. He came to the conclusion that either you know a passage off it, which he thought was unlikely or you climbed down the ivy."  
  
"Ivy," he told them. They all nodded.  
  
"It's easier with the ivy isn't it," Raoul remarked. They all nodded again in agreement.  
  
"Do you think I should tell my parents the truth?" Jon asked.  
  
"Truth," they both told him. "Imagine what it's going to be like when it gets to who the mother is," Gary said laughing.  
  
"Gods! I think I might just miss that one out until I have to. For instance when she's with Sophia and my parents are there. I'll say meet Sophia's mother. Then tell her to run, with me running behind her," Jon told them. They all laughed.  
  
"I can just see it now, all of you escaping down the ivy," Raoul said. That got a laugh out of all of them.  
  
I don't actually like this chapter that much. I think I have one more part for them being in Corus and then I'll get back to Sophia and Alanna. 


	7. chapter7

"Your Highness, their Majesties have requested that you meet with them in their rooms," the messenger bowed and left.  
  
"If you will excuse me Josiane?" he said kissing her hand.  
  
"Of course. I will see you later I hope." Jonathan bowed and left.  
  
* Thank the Gods he came. * He thought hurrying away from the gardens where he left Josiane.  
  
"Mother, Father?" Jonathan said bowing as he came into his parents dining room.  
  
"Jonathan sit down and have some lunch with us," Lianne ordered him smiling. Lunch was already set out on the table for three people and there were no servants about apart from the one who had shown him in but he had left.  
  
"Are you sure you aren't busy?" * Oh no, they're going to ask or get onto it today. They're far too cheery than they should be *  
  
"Nonsense, you know we always have time for you," Roald said smiling. He gestured to an empty seat opposite the two of them, "Sit!" * Yep, they definitely want to bring it up. *  
  
It was during dessert when Lianne and Roald brought up the subject. "Has everything been alright Jonathan?"  
  
"Yes, why shouldn't they?"  
  
"You seemed upset last night," Roald told him gently.  
  
"Bad night, that's all," he said eating some more of his dessert.  
  
"What happened?" Lianne asked calmly.  
  
" It's just being the Voice, some people had a bad day. You want to help them and you can't it's just so frustrating." The King and Queen frowned and looked at each other before turning back to Jonathan. * Please believe, please believe! *  
  
"Jonathan we know you. You're lying about something. Tell us the truth," Lianne told him sternly.  
  
"I'm not a child anymore!"  
  
"Then stop acting like one. You have been in a mood for months. You seemed to be in a better mood, maybe Josiane is the cause, and you seem to like her."  
  
"Mother I-"  
  
"Don't interrupt," Roald told him.  
  
"Now you've gone back to what you were like when you came back from the Desert. We thought…" she looked at him sharply. Jonathan took his opportunity to get across what he wanted.  
  
"Mother, I do not like Josiane. I know you would like me to marry her, but you can't make me and I won't do it." He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms glaring at them both.  
  
"She's the reason why you are like this isn't she?" Lianne demanded.  
  
"Who is?" Roald caught on to what his wife was talking about and sat up straighter in his chair if it was possible.  
  
"Alanna, Jonathan, don't play stupid. You knew perfectly whom your mother was talking about," Roald told him.  
  
"Yes, I did. If you wanted to talk about Alanna don't address her as her or she. She deserves to be called by her name or rank or however you should address her."  
  
"Well, Lady Alanna is the reason isn't she?"  
  
"No, Alanna is not the reason."  
  
"Then what is?" Jonathan sighed. He knew that they wouldn't give up and they could see through most of his lies. He put his hand in his pocket and took out the picture of Sophia. He smoothed it on the table then handed it over to them.  
  
"Who is she?" Lianne asked.  
  
"Your granddaughter," Jon winced knowing what would come.  
  
"What!"  
  
"I need a drink!" Lianne proclaimed. Jonathan got up and got his mother a glass of brandy from the table near the door while his parents looked from the picture to Jonathan. He handed her the glass and she gulped it down in one.  
  
"Mother, calm down."  
  
"Don't you, tell me to calm down. Saying I'm a grandmother just out of the blue and you aren't even married!"  
  
"How old is she?" Roald asked.  
  
"7 months."  
  
"And you've only told us now of supposedly our FIRST grandchild only because we've quizzed you about it and you could of told us anytime in the last 16 months?"  
  
"Yes, and I've only known about her for 2-3 months and she is your first."  
  
"What's her name?" Lianne asked.  
  
"Sophia."  
  
"Birthday?"  
  
" 25 January."  
  
" Mother?"  
  
" Not telling you that yet. Nice try though."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"Port Caynn."  
  
"Why isn't she here?"  
  
"We didn't want her raised as a princess. A princess born out of wedlock?"  
  
"Yes, well. You shouldn't have done that. Also she could still stay in Corus! The two of us do want to meet her! And the mother!"  
  
"Her mother doesn't like court." Then realising what he said winced, knowing at least his father would of caught onto that.  
  
"So she's a noble?" Jon was right.  
  
"Yes," he said looking anywhere but at them.  
  
"At least the two of you can get married. You could do the right thing!"  
  
"We aren't getting married don't worry."  
  
"You haven't even asked?"  
  
"Yes, I have asked. But what is the point to get married just because of Sophia, who would probably resent us because we would eventually not even be able to stay in the same room!"  
  
"Were you together long?" Lianne asked looking again at the picture of Sophia.  
  
"3-4 years. But we did know each other before that."  
  
"You are going to write to her today and tell her to come here. We want to meet them. Isn't she cute?" Roald told him before smiling looking at the picture. Jonathan smiled trying not to laugh at his father going to angry to happy.  
  
"Yeah, yes, she is. But you are biased."  
  
"So are you."  
  
"I know. I should go now. You can't tell people about this."  
  
"What people are you talking about? Not even relatives?"  
  
"Only close relatives that we get along with. I don't mind Uncle Gareth but that's it. Can I get that back please?" he said standing up.  
  
"Don't think we still aren't angry at you because we are. Remember to write! We will see you later. You can't get out of anything for a while. You will come to all the meetings scheduled for today and the next month. You can leave at sunsets though. I consider it part of your duties; it has made you more grown up. I don't want there to be any complaining either." Roald told him. He got the picture back and bowed then left.  
  
After leaving the room he headed back to his rooms. When he went in he leaned against the door. * Gods! I'm going to have to get Alanna and Sophia here. They've basically been commanded to come here. What am I going to say to her? How am I going to get a message to her? Coram! I'll speak to him at sunset. *  
  
  
  
I want 10 reviews and if I don't get them I won't post! And if that happens then I won't post the next part up for a certain amount of time. Thanks for all the reviews I really appreciate them. As for all the people who didn't then HUMPH! 


	8. chapter8

"Alanna?"  
  
"What is it? Faithful watch her!" she said putting Sophia down on the tent floor while going outside to speak to Coram. She looked around the tent. She was back with the Bloody Hawk tribe. The sun had just set and it was dusk. Alanna thought she had never seen such beautiful sunsets any other place than the desert.  
  
The desert was one of her favourite places in the world. It was hot, pretty and there were people who accepted her. There were people at home but it was different here. There were no politics ruling what happened unlike Corus where the Court dictated everything. It wasn't like them saying do this do that it was more what they expected you do.  
  
"What is it?" she asked smiling.  
  
"Jonathan wants to speak to you. Magically, he says he needs to speak to you quickly. The normal way through the fire," he said gravely. She was no longer cursing his name, which Coram saw as a good sign but she still bristled when it was mentioned.  
  
"What's it about?"  
  
"He never said. Just what I told you, He said he'll wait an hour after being the Voice."  
  
"How important did it sound?"  
  
"Well, he's quite calm as usual, but he was anxious about something."  
  
"Do you think I should speak to him?" she asked pleading him to make the decision for her.  
  
"I can't make that decision for you, you know that. You've got to speak to him sooner or later. It might be important; they might be calling you back to Corus. It might be good to talk to him after all this time, if not for you for Sophia."  
  
"You shouldn't use guilt to get someone to do what you want."  
  
"So you're going to speak to him?"  
  
"You already know, there's no reason for you to ask that."  
  
"I just wanted to be sure." She walked back into her tent and a few minutes later she returned with Sophia, the both of them wearing cloaks.  
  
"May as well take her with me. He hasn't seen her in a few months." She walked briskly past Coram to the edge of the small village and up to the top of the nearest sand dune.  
  
She sat down on the sand and pulled Sophia into her lap to keep warm and so Jon can see her. She put down the small amount of wood and lit it using her gift. Sophia stopped talking to herself and watched what Alanna was doing. She took out the packet of herbs she needed to make it easier to speaking to Jonathan. Sophia was watching her intently. Alanna took out a pinch of the herbs and threw them on the fire. It went purple. Sophia made a grab for the packet. "Want go!" she said and finally grabbed the packet.  
  
Alanna looked at her for a few moments deciding if she should let the toddler have a go. She opened the packet again and let Sophia put her small hand in the packet. "Now through it like this on the fire, but don't touch it!" The girl threw it on the fire and when it turned indigo squealed with delight and clapped. Alanna smiled down at the girl, tucking her hair behind her ear, "Good girl, but only try that when Mummy's around alright?" She nodded to her mother. "Now hold my hand. Okay, now do you remember daddy?" She shook her head. Alanna showed her a picture in her mind.  
  
Sophia laughed, "I like him, he gives me cakes!"  
  
"Now remember what he looks like and think of him." Alanna took her hand and concentrated on Jonathan's image herself while reciting the spell. Sophia recited it after Alanna almost perfectly. The fire glowed with both of their gifts turning the fire a very dark amethyst colour. "Well done!" she said smiling and tickling her for a second or two. Sophia laughed like Alanna knew she would.  
  
"Alanna?" She turned when she heard her name being called. Her smile fell.  
  
"Jonathan," she said coolly. "What was it that you wanted?"  
  
"Daddy!" Sophia called. "Does he have cakes?"  
  
"Phia! You don't go asking people for cakes and I've told you you've had enough today!" she scolded. Jon tried hard to stop from laughing, but he failed. Alanna heard him laughing and glared at him. He stopped laughing for a few moments before laughing again. He had caught her eye; she smiled and then laughed herself.  
  
"She eats far too many."  
  
"And you give them to her?" he said smiling.  
  
"It's not just me you know. Most of the tribe give her them and they keep her out of trouble for a while when she's eating them. You know she helped me with the spell to talk to you? She saw me put the herbs on the fire and wanted a go so I let her, then, well I knew she wouldn't want to just stop at that so I told her to concentrate on what you looked like. When I was reciting the spell she said it after me and here we are!"  
  
"She managed to do a full spell on her own!"  
  
"Let's hope it makes her sleep later tomorrow instead of waking me up when it's still dark."  
  
"Let's hope for your sake. You're probably wanting know why I wanted to speak to you?" She nodded. "My parents have found out about Sophia." 


	9. chapter9

"What? How?"  
  
"Well they knew something was wrong. And they can tell when I lie, which I just found out."  
  
"So you said we have a child?" she demanded.  
  
"Well, no. I said I have a daughter. So I showed them the picture after a lot of anger being spread about by them. I managed to hold my own though and the only name mentioned was Sophia." Alanna smiled. " They then said they wanted to meet her very soon. And to speak to you as soon as I can to get the two of you to come here, since I said that the two of you weren't in Corus."  
  
"So we are getting a royal command to come to Corus?"  
  
"You aren't she is. Which means you coming as well but you don't have to see them. They don't even have to know you're in Corus."  
  
"Fine, I'll stay for a few weeks maybe. I know how to go around in a disguise. I'll stay in an inn in the city. I'm not ready for Court yet."  
  
"I'll pay for the inn for you." When he saw that she was going to argue he said, " I'm the one who is getting you to come here. The least I can do is pay for the inn."  
  
"Alright. Don't tell anyone I'm coming, I don't want people to know I'm at Court yet or in Corus. Don't even tell Gary, Raoul or Myles. I'll see them when I'm there."  
  
"She's grown." Sophia started singing and grabbed Alanna 's burnoose tie showing that she's a member of the Bloody Hawk and a shaman. Alanna and Jon laughed at the little girl.  
  
"She also likes singing, and sweets and wandering off and everything that she wouldn't be doing and waking me up very early in the morning. The list goes on." Jon laughed.  
  
" I miss her and my best friend." The girl stopped singing and just played with the tie of the burnoose now.  
  
"I know you miss her and I'm sorry about you not seeing her. I miss my best friend too. We aren't meant to be anymore. We were in the past but not in the present and future. I used to think we were, but not now."  
  
"Yeah, it was good as it lasted. Look at what we got out of it. One of the cutest and prettiest little girls in the world. I have a slight feeling I'm biased though." They both laughed. "I still love you, always will. Not as a lover anymore, but as the best friend I could have and for Sophia. You brought her into the world how can I not love you for that?"  
  
"You're going to make me cry you know? I'll always love you too. If it wasn't for you Sophia wouldn't be here and as a best friend, we may have arguments but what friends don't? Doesn't mean I didn't love you. Love was never our problem it was the kind of love, it wasn't the kind lovers have which lasts forever. You'll always be special even if we didn't have Sophia. You were my first crush, my first love and nothing could ever change that."  
  
"I was your first crush? I didn't know that! Since when did you have a crush on me?" Jon said very curious leaning forward slightly to hear what she was going to say. Alanna blushed, looked at the sky and then back at Jon.  
  
"After you found out I was a girl, 14-15. I was 14. I didn't really realise until you're 19th birthday. You never wondered why I hated Delia so much?" Jon laughed.  
  
"I always thought that you hated her because she liked to make you her little slave and I never really shut up about her."  
  
"Well, yeah that is the reason but there were and are other factors. Like she was pretty, everybody loved her, everywhere you went she was mentioned, she got me to do lots of things for her, you never shut up about her, I got so bored when she was being talked about, she made me feel so unfeminine and well ugly."  
  
"I didn't know any of that. Sorry about all of it."  
  
"And, there's more, this is coming from the best friend, the way she treated you and you couldn't really see it, actually I think you were in denial. She also caused a few fights between the two of us. She caused our first real fight.  
  
" So are you going to say when you fell for me?"  
  
"Knew it would get round to that. I suppose since I found out you were a girl," he hid his smile when he saw her shocked and outraged look.  
  
"You know if you said that while we were in the same room I'd make your arm hurt."  
  
"I know that's why I said it. I couldn't think of you that way when I thought of you as Alan could I? We were friends that grew closer and I knew what you were really like and how could I not like you? And you are very good looking."  
  
"Why thank you and I remember you saying I was too skinny at the time."  
  
"I did say that but did I mean it? Didn't you gradually fall for me?" he grinned. "There was no one telling us or implying us to be nice to each other and let something happen or make something happen."  
  
"Well, there might not of been on your part but there was on mine."  
  
"What!"  
  
"Yeah, there was someone. That was almost my reaction when it was implied it wasn't exactly love that they implied at first, then the subject got onto love."  
  
"Who? And what did they say?"  
  
"Well the two of us were talking about the Ordeal and my nightmares about it and how I almost wake up screaming but then I'd realise that that would make you come into my room and remember those rules we had?"  
  
"Where we ended up breaking almost all of them?"  
  
"They're the ones! She told me that "a dream is only a dream" then she said "would it be so terrible if Jonathan did come to offer you comfort?" The way she said it you could just tell what she really meant."  
  
"Who meant what?"  
  
"The Goddess!"  
  
"I suppose that tells us where she stands on the whole sex before marriage thing." Alanna laughed.  
  
"I guess it does. There wasn't just that there was other things that were said when we were talking. I told her there was nothing like that between us which led onto her saying that I fear love yada yada yada, and then "What is there to fear? Warmth? Trust? A man's touch?" I ended up shouting at her and then when I remembered who it was."  
  
"What did you shout at her?"  
  
"I shouted, "I don't want a man's touch! I don't want to fall in love, especially not with Jon." I think I contradicted myself a lot. I said to someone and I promised myself that I'd never do anything to get me pregnant." Jon laughed.  
  
"I think you kept to that promise pretty well I must say."  
  
"I agree, I also remember telling myself, I'm never going to fall in love, never have children and never get married," she smiled and he laughed again.  
  
"Wouldn't she make you feel ugly? She is also a very pretty lady?"  
  
"Yeah, of course she does but I know that she's an immortal and I'm just a human so she is supposed to be prettier thane me."  
  
"Only in some people's eyes."  
  
"Awe, you're just sweetening me up so I'll come to Corus. I better go it's getting late. I'll leave tomorrow. Coram will want to come with us so will you tell him details? Will you send my regards to people for me please? Leave it a surprise for them when I turn up. Oh, and Jon, it's been good talking to you again. I missed our chats."  
  
"So did I. So did I. I'll tell them and Coram. Bye 'Lanna. See you soon." 


	10. chapter10

The loud bell that awakens many people, chimed one o'clock. Jonathan got up from his seat where he was sitting with some friends and ladies from Court.  
  
"Jon where you going?" Gary turned from talking to Cythera to Jon.  
  
"I have to go somewhere. You know my Mother's ordered me to get Sophia in Corus. So I'm going to meet her."  
  
"You never said you had to meet her! How long have you known she was coming to Corus?"  
  
"About a week. They took it slow coming here. You know she doesn't like coming here that much especially at the moment." Everyone around about the two men and Raoul where looking at each other with looks of confusion. Raoul was looking at the two of them paying attention to what was being said. "I need to go, I'll be late."  
  
"You'll bring her up here to see us?"  
  
"Of course. I'm under strict orders. Do you really think I'd get out of that with my parents? Not with the trouble I'm already in, I have a funny feeling I'm going to be in the bad books for at least another month maybe two. If you'll all excuse me?" he quickly bowed and left.  
  
"Gary, who's Sophia?"  
  
"It's a girl he's known most of her life. He hasn't seen her much though so he's gone to see her in the city."  
  
"Why couldn't he see her here?" Raoul and Gary laughed.  
  
"Sophia and her companions wouldn't like to be here."  
  
"Companions? Can she not visit on her own?" Delia scoffed.  
  
"No, she can't. She's not old enough to come on her own. She's not even a year old."  
  
"Sophia's a child?"  
  
"Yes, from what I've seen a cute one to. You'd just want to take her home with you."  
  
"How does his Highness know the girl?" one of the ladies asked suspiciously.  
  
"Eh, his parents have known Sophia's mother since she was a child. Well she's her adoptive mother."  
  
"Are we all going to get some lunch now?" Dafeenie always the peacekeeper asked. Gary gave her a small look of gratitude.  
  
  
  
"Hello Alanna." She jumped round when she felt him tap her shoulder.  
  
"Hello Jon."  
  
"Sophia!" Jon called to the girl Alanna had in her arms. He took her little hand in his while calling her name. She turned round from looking all over the square and laughed. She put her arms out towards Jon and almost fell out of Alanna's arms. Jon put out his arms to carry her and Alanna handed her over.  
  
"Have you had something to eat yet?" He shifted Sophia to his other side so he could see Alanna easier.  
  
"No, I haven't but she's had something at 11. She'll eat something no matter what time it is."  
  
"Cakes?" Sophia started trying to look through Jon's pockets. Alanna leaned forward and took one of Sophia's hands making her look at her mother.  
  
"No, no cakes for you. You have to have something else to eat first." Sophia turned back around to Jon and fiddled with his hair. "Looks like someone's in the huff." Jon smiled.  
  
"I know a quiet place you haven't been before do you want to go there?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
  
  
"Thanks for lunch it was nice. We should go. We'll meet tomorrow?"  
  
"Do you have to? I want to spend more time with her."  
  
"I can leave her with you and then pick her up later."  
  
"I want that. I want to see her more than I do."  
  
"I know that! I want you to see her more, it's just." she leaned further over the table so as that nobody else may here what she says.  
  
"It's just you don't want to go anywhere I am." He looked down away from her eyes. She reached for his hand and took it firmly in hers. He looked up and met her eyes.  
  
"Let's not start that again. You know it's not like that. You can't stay away from Corus as much as I want to be away from it. I don't like Court, you know I don't and I hate especially now after what's happened. I don't know if I can take it if I came back now."  
  
"I know it's just so frustrating! I love her, she's my daughter, and I want to see her. I miss her constantly. I know you're still really mad at me I would be too and I'm sorry. I know we can't go back to the way we were. Can we not try? At least for Sophia."  
  
"I know Jon, but it's going to take awhile. You're right I'm upset and you're upset, we're both upset. We'll go back to the inn and I'll get some more stuff together for her and you can have her for the whole day. I'll be able to get some sleep; finally."  
  
"She'll be okay with me the whole day?"  
  
"Yeah, she likes you. I can tell. Give her a cake or a sweet and she'll be fine."  
  
"Cake? Sweetie?" Sophia sat up more paying more attention.  
  
"No! Come on we'll go to the inn and get some things." She stood up and he followed carrying Sophia before paying for lunch.  
  
"We're going to meet Grandpa and Grandma now. If you're good I'll give you a cake. But since you've been good so far you can get one now too." He gave her a small chocolate out of a mixture he had just bought off of a market stall. The small girl took it and started eating it. Jon started to make his way up to the palace from the city looking for anyone he knew.  
  
"Jonny!" He looked about him for the person who shouted his name.  
  
"Swift! I haven't seen you in a while."  
  
"I know. I'd been sent t' Galla by George to meet with the Rogue there."  
  
"Why does he want to meet the Gallan Rogue?"  
  
"I shouldn't tell you. So who's the sprog?"  
  
"Sprog? Don't call her that, she's my Goddaughter."  
  
"Since when have you been a Godfather?"  
  
"About a year. We have to go now."  
  
"I'll see you later?"  
  
"Not for a couple of weeks probably."  
  
"I won't be there then. I'm getting married! I'm going to be an honest man in the south." Jon laughed. Sophia looked at him and then laughed also.  
  
"You an honest man! I'll have to see that one-day. Where are you going to be living? If I'm down your way I'll come and see you."  
  
"Galore, just west of Pearlmouth."  
  
"I'll remember that. It's been good seeing you, but my parents are waiting for me. They want to see the kid. One day we'll have to share another drink together."  
  
"We will don't worry." He hugged Jon a goodbye and walked off with a smile on his face at the thought of his wife to be. Jon and Sophia carried on up the way to the Palace and the meeting with his parents. As the Palace got nearer he slowed down at the thought of what is parents were going to be like. 


	11. parents

"Mother, Father I've brought someone to meet you." Jon said walking calmly into his parents living chambers. When seeing Sophia they dismissed the servants waiting for an order.  
  
"Jonathan, let me hold her now." He took her jacket off and handed her to his mother. Sophia sat on Lianne's knee looking at her father with pleading in her eyes.  
  
"Are you wanting another piece of chocolate?" She sat up more and looked excited. Sophia outstretched her little hand looking everywhere for the chocolate. Jon handed the chocolates to his mother. Sophia sneezed. Appearing before her were indigo ribbons, the colour of her gift. When she looked up and saw the ribbons she laughed. She looked at the ribbons and made them weave in and out in an intricate design making them weave around her outstretched arm.  
  
"That's- unusual," Roald remarked.  
  
"I've never seen her do that before. I was told she does that but I've never actually seen it."  
  
"Has she got a lot?" Roald asked meaning her gift.  
  
"Yes, her family will make sure she's well trained."  
  
"What makes you think we won't?"  
  
"Her mother was going to train her when she was old enough."  
  
"When are we going to meet her mother?" Lianne enquired.  
  
"When her mother wants you to know who she is."  
  
"We could order her to see us?"  
  
"She'd only come if she wants to come. You'd also have to know who she is to make her come here."  
  
"So you're not going to tell?"  
  
"Only if she wants you to know. Which at the moment she doesn't."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You won't approve of her would you? She wants to live her life with no anonymously at the moment. You'll probably know who she is soon anyway. She won't be able to stay away from Corus for ever."  
  
"Do we know her? I don't mean as Sophia's mother." Sophia looked up at her name being mentioned and the ribbons disappeared.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You've also said she's a noble." Jonathan's silence was enough for an answer. Sophia looked between all the faces.  
  
"Gods! It's her isn't it?" Roald asked.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Alanna." Sophia reached out her arms towards Jon when she heard Alanna's name.  
  
"I'll take her back," Jon reached his arms out to Sophia and picked her off his mother. "What makes you think 'Lanna is Sophia's mother?"  
  
"You lived with the girl for 4 years!"  
  
"She was my squire!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"She's also been gone for the last ten months and how old is Sophia?"  
  
"Ten months," Jon muttered turning his head away from his parents as he said this.  
  
"She is isn't she? Tell us the truth Jonathan."  
  
"Yes, she is," Jonathan, told them glaring at his father. "Sophia say bye." She waved, "Bah-Bai." Jonathan grabbed Sophia's coat and marched quickly out of the room.  
  
  
  
"Jon it's us!" Raoul called through the door.  
  
"Come in!" Raoul and Gary walked through the open door and laughed. Jonathan was lying on the floor with Sophia sitting on the toy blanket infront of him. She had just put a chocolate handprint on his face.  
  
"I never thought I'd see you in a situation like this. It is hilarious!"  
  
"Thanks for that Gary. Watch her while get cleaned up." He stood, disappearing into his bedchamber.  
  
The two men were still staring at the smiling, laughing, little girl ominously.  
  
"Go check on her then," Gary waved at the girl who was now lying on her stomach and making her way across the floor towards something.  
  
"What! Why me? You're the one with a little sister."  
  
"Yeah, but I was little then too."  
  
"Then why did you think I'd have more of a clue than you?"  
  
"Dunno," he shrugged. "I just figured you might have had more of a clue than me."  
  
"Well, obviously I don't."  
  
"Ya think?" they looked back at Sophia she was further across the floor now, evidently realising that they didn't have a clue and was now seizing her chance. "Well she's disappearing somewhere, we should stop her."  
  
"Fine then," Raoul was plainly exasperated. He strode quickly over to the girl, she was now reaching out for something on the bookshelf. Reaching down and picking up the girl, how he had seen people do. She was now looking over Raoul's shoulder at Gary, who looked a bit shocked that Raoul actually knew how to pick up a child.  
  
"I said you needed to watch her. Going for the bookcase again?" Jon was back now devoid of any chocolate marks. Arms outstretched to receive Sophia. Hastily she was returned to her father. She was sitting in the crook of Jonathan's arm. He held one of her hands and bounced her gently. She laughed then quickly grabbed a hold of Jon's shirt in a cuddle. All of a sudden she was shy.  
  
"She must of caught a look of your face Gar'" Raoul remarked slyly looking at Gary still standing near the door.  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny. It'll be because she got caught going for the bookcase again." He now stood next to the two men and got a better look than before at the illegitimate princess.  
  
"Whoa, she's going to be very pretty when she's older."  
  
"Yeah. Just hope she doesn't know it."  
  
"Like Delia and Josianne. Cythera is prettier than them anyway. We were all like moths to a flame with them."  
  
"Delia -cow. 'Sienna's a bitch!" The three men were stunned into silence.  
  
"Someone's been listening to Mummy." They were still all staring at the little girl, almost a year old.  
  
"Mummy said."  
  
"What do I say to that?" Jonathan asked helplessly.  
  
"That you agree?"  
  
"Well yeah I do but, I need to tell her something! She can't go round saying that."  
  
"It would be funny. Just say she isn't meant to say that."  
  
"Sophia you can't say something like that. If you say that again, no more sweeties!"  
  
"Go for the bribery Jon. That's the way!"  
  
"It always worked with you. I remember Aunt Mairi bribing you, and you never-"  
  
"Ok, I'm going to keep quiet now. Let's just hope I don't have any kids soon."  
  
"We always have."  
  
"I don't have a clue about kids."  
  
"Couldn't say we noticed that. You want a shot?"  
  
"Can I?" Gary's face lit up at the prospect of holding his little cousin.  
  
"Of course," Jonathan moved over to Gary, Sophia in his arms. Gary reached out to take her from him.  
  
"Isn't she cute? What did Aunt and Uncle say then?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
That's the next chapter up then. Remember to review. I am going to look into who reviewed and who didn't in WE THINK and I am going to organise them being written into the story. They might not be seen for a very long time though as this is just going to take the story up to the end of Lioness Rampant. But them the story should pick up again when she's eighteen and getting on with her life.  
  
Cherry-Alanna: I wasn't meaning you when I said everyone is taking my ideas for the next parts of Sophia. The ones about Alanna and Jon's children aren't the ones I was meaning. I was meaning.. I don't know whether I should say the ones I was meaning because all those authors did come up with those ideas, but I'll say this, Myles won't just be her grandfather. 


	12. 12

"They know Alanna is her mother."  
  
"What did they think about that?"  
  
"They weren't best pleased about that fact, so I took Sophia off of mother and left quickly, very quickly." Jon looked at the door, "Maybe I should go and see them again. They'll have had time to think about it, and get used to the idea."  
  
Gary looked up at him, "Leave it a bit longer, Aunt will be upset. She will feel that she has to stop planning the wedding of Princess Josiane of the Copper Isles to His Royal Highness Prince Jonathan of Tortall."  
  
"And that's a bad thing?"  
  
"Well no. But she'll be a bit upset. You know they don't really approve of Alanna."  
  
"Out of interest of does Uncle Gareth think?"  
  
"I get the impression that he thinks that it's funny. He doesn't say it of course, but he's always liked Alanna, I get the feeling he doesn't really mind that Alan turned out to be Alanna. Raoul you have a shot now." He handed Raoul the small girl who was watching everyone intently.  
  
"Do you think I could get him to talk them round?"  
  
"Maybe, but you would have to get him to admit that he doesn't mind, which I think is unlikely. Could you really see him admit that?"  
  
"There are ways dear cousin."  
  
"With my father?"  
  
  
  
There was a knock on her door. Mayhap it's Jonathan, Lianne fleetingly thought as she looked up from her book. Gareth looked round his door at his little sister. She looked older, more tired now a days. She was no longer the woman she used to be. Life had left her dirty mark on his little Annie, she looked like porcelain as she stood in greeting by the window: a hand on the small sowing table, the other on a large comfy armchair.  
  
He rushed over to her, "Annie, sit down, you look tired."  
  
"Gary, I'm fine, stop fussing." He raised an eyebrow sceptically.  
  
"I can always tell when you're lying. You don't need to lie to me, Lianne, what's the truth?"  
  
"I'm tired. It's getting harder and harder."  
  
"Does Jonathan know? Roald?" he asked taking her hand as he knelt beside her.  
  
"No, and I don't want them to know. I want my last days to be normal."  
  
"Don't you think they should know?"  
  
"No, Roald would be able to accept it and Jonathan. Well, if he has to take over as King in everything but name now, then he'll be one as long as he lives." Suddenly Gareth reached over the arm of the chair and hugged his little sister.  
  
"Have you seen Jonathan today?" he asked still holding her.  
  
"Yes, he showed us Sophia."  
  
"Sophia is this his new girl?"  
  
"No, his daughter." Gareth pulled away in shock.  
  
"Daughter! How old?"  
  
"Almost a year."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me earlier? You and Roald grandparents!"  
  
"We didn't know. We just found out a couple of weeks ago. It's a bit hard to take in. He says the two of them wanted to keep it quiet for Sophia's sake."  
  
"Two of them?"  
  
"He and Alanna."  
  
"Alanna! They've been living together for four years! I hadn't thought of that before. Of course there were the rumours, why wouldn't there be? I didn't really believe them though. Did you meet Sophia and Alanna today?"  
  
"No, just Sophia." He smiled.  
  
"What's she like?" She smiled lighting up her face and erasing twenty years, like magic.  
  
  
  
"Uncle Gareth!" Jonathan stepped back from colliding with his uncle. The corridors around his parents suite were narrow, just enough room for two people to get past each other, easier to defend and dangerous when coming round corners to fast. Jonathan glanced past his uncle to the only door in that section. "Visiting mother?"  
  
"Yes. Need to visit the favourite sister once a week, Or I'd get in trouble. You know what she can turn into and I don't want that directed at me."  
  
"How did she seem? I'm worried about her. She tries to hide it, but I can see."  
  
"I know. She's worried about you and Roald. That's why she tries to hide it. She's been ill for a long time Jonathan, you know that." Jonathan looked away from his gaze, eyes glistening. There was a painting of the three of them when he was small, it was his mother's favourite: she claimed she looked young; Roald and he were laughing as he played with his dog. He turned back to his uncle.  
  
"He doesn't realize does he?"  
  
"No, he does. But he doesn't want to admit it. I've known your father for a long time. He wants her to tell him in her time."  
  
"But she won't." Gareth looked down at his black leather boots.  
  
"Congratulations I hear," he said smiling.  
  
"Gary?" he shook his head smiling. "Mother?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"She isn't as happy as she could be."  
  
"No, she is. You should have seen her face when she was telling me all about her. Never would of thought that Alanna had a maternal bone in her body."  
  
"Paternal?"  
  
"Perhaps. Have the two of them come and see me, or I them. But I have to leave. If someone ever says being Training Master is easy, shoot them." The Duke bowed his head and then left moving at his normal brisk pace.  
  
He took a deep breath then walked quickly to the door.  
  
"Mother?"  
  
"Jonathan! Back so soon?" she asked him cynically.  
  
"Mother," he moved over to the chair by the window that she was sitting at and hugged her, then sitting down on the chair that his Uncle had just vacated. Some servants came in and cleared away the tea -cups and then replacing them and some finger food. He waited until the servants were away.  
  
"I am an adult."  
  
"Then act like one. But you are also a Prince."  
  
"I never asked to be one."  
  
"No, but you are one and you cannot change that. Think of the people who are starving in your country because they do not have enough money for bread. You could have had that fortune or live but you didn't so be grateful. A lot of people aren't as lucky as you."  
  
"And a lot are more so."  
  
"In your eyes."  
  
"Think about it mother, I'm condemned for life to be a King and let my country come first. I've had to sacrifice my family and life for it, already!"  
  
"Alanna."  
  
"And Sophia. I would give up being Heir in a heartbeat."  
  
"Which is what will make you a good King."  
  
"And how long until that?"  
  
"I would not know. I am not King."  
  
"No you're not. But you're close enough."  
  
"You're much smarter than I thought, and even then I knew you were."  
  
"Or is it just wisdom?"  
  
"Being wise is different to being smart."  
  
"Yes, but both come with age. You're no longer a boy Jonathan."  
  
"Which is why I won't leave. I know my responsibilities and the order they're meant to come in."  
  
"But do they come in that order?"  
  
"Do yours?"  
  
"I've known my responsibilities for a long time."  
  
"And I mine."  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"I've grown up. It's hard not to when you have thousands of people voices in your head at one instant telling you all about their life, you know their future, their past, their ancestors past and their descendants future. Mother I am not a child or a teenager, I am twenty-one and not like anybody else in this country, and I never will be. I don't want to fall out with you over Sophia, Alanna. Think how Sophia would feel if she found out that her Grandmother wasn't happy about her existence."  
  
"Her grandmother is happy, the Queen is not. She's of Royal blood, life is different for her, and there are different rules for her as well as you. Being a royal is not easy, it just has some privileges that people assume out weigh the downsides that they know of. How could they?"  
  
"You've thought about it."  
  
"I had the choice. I haven't regretted it. I got you and I couldn't be prouder. My son unified the Bazhir and the North in peace. There was not even any negotiations or soldiers needed. Who else could have done that? You will be remembered for that and you have not even began your reign!"  
  
"Then why are you disappointed in me?"  
  
"Disappointed? You never said anything for months. We just want to be in you life. How would you feel if you weren't in Sophia's life?"  
  
"I already do. She won't call me father. I don't like it, but I have to accept it."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Alanna and I aren't going to get married or anything like that. We both know that. She is going to get married to someone else and I probably will, I have to don't I?"  
  
"If she gets married what about Sophia?"  
  
"He'll raise her as his own. He's a decent man."  
  
"You know him?"  
  
"Yes, we're friends. It was Alanna who introduced us."  
  
"She'll grow up calling and thinking someone else is her father?"  
  
"No, Alanna won't let her call him that, and I suspect he wouldn't either. She won't think he's her father, everyone's agreed on a story. I won't be her father publicly, people may suspect but no one will say."  
  
"Will she ever find out?"  
  
"Eventually, when she is old enough to understand. Perhaps things will be different then."  
  
"Perhaps. She is still an heir."  
  
"Until or if I have a son."  
  
"A legitimate one."  
  
"Life never turns out how you expect does it?"  
  
"You will bring her to see us again before she goes away?"  
  
"Of course. I should be getting back now. It's getting late. I left her with Gary and Raoul, the poor girl. I will see you tomorrow Mother," he stood up and leaned over, kissing his mother on the cheek. 


	13. plans

"Mama!" the small girl struggled in the man's arms to get to her mother. The young, very young woman rushed forward to take the child from his arms.  
  
"Were you a good girl?" she asked as she held onto the girl's outstretched hand. She smiled as she listened to the girl's rambling answer that made no sense to anyone, perhaps even to the child. "How was she?" she asked now addressing the young man.  
  
"Good as gold. She spoke earlier."  
  
"What did she say? She doesn't really speak many words. The occasional few, Mama, Daddy, cakes, want and now." The two of them smiled. He looked away at the rest of the small courtyard of the inn she was staying at. "C'mon, we'll go inside. It's too cold and it's getting dark, to just be standing about out here. What did she say then?" they started to walk into the inn. Jonathan laughed.  
  
"They were interesting words for someone who can't even talk properly." She turned and looked at him bewildered. "Something along the lines of: Delia's a cow, Josiane's a bitch. I think they were her words or what she meant."  
  
"She said that!" He smiled at the little girl who was now watching him with big blue eyes. He tickled her underneath her chin causing her to giggle.  
  
"Yes, we thought that she had been listening to Mummy to much." She stopped dead in the doorway, Jonathan stopping with her. They turned to face each other.  
  
"We? What makes you think she heard that from me!"  
  
"Gary and Raoul. You never have liked Delia-"  
  
"Could you blame me?"  
  
"And well you haven't met Josiane."  
  
"No, but I've heard all about her. The whole of Tortall is talking about the Prince and Princess! And their upcoming marriage! I'm bound to hate her before I've even met her."  
  
"Like I should be with George?" he snapped quietly.  
  
"Yes!" she looked down at Sophia and took a breath to calm herself. She looked up and spoke softly, "But you're not-"  
  
"No, I'm not. I want to. Would it be a surprise if I was?"  
  
"Maybe, maybe not."  
  
"He'll be the one there for her everyday. I have every reason to hate him!"  
  
"Then why don't you?"  
  
"Because he was and is my friend."  
  
"What makes you think that he is going to be there everyday?"  
  
"I have seen many things Alanna."  
  
"Let's not talk out here. Have you eaten?"  
  
"No," he paused. "It's cold out here we should go in."  
  
"Yes, we should," her stare locked his eyes to hers. She blinked pulling them out of their spell. She turned on her heel, stepping away, the quiet tap, tap of her heels preceding her.  
"Jonathan things do not feel right," she said over their table. Alanna had asked to have their meal in her rooms. "Have you not felt it? It's been gradually getting stronger."  
  
"I have felt something. I'm not quite sure what it is. It's like a quiet nagging at the back of my mind. Its just things also felt normal, if you know what I mean?" he paused in the middle of his eating.  
  
"It was hard to notice it. It's just grown gradually, so little that it's taken me along time to notice. I've just got so used it. I've felt it in the Desert."  
  
"The shaman have been mentioning it to me. Something happened on Hallows Eve. Did you feel it?"  
  
"Yes, Sophia woke up crying and I couldn't get her to calm down for a long time. My Gift was acting strangely."  
  
"Hallows Eve was Thom."  
  
"I know, he took my Gift. Then when I had finally got her to sleep, she woke up screaming; the loudest I have ever heard her, that was about midnight. Faithful was just as uptight. I'm going to see Thom tomorrow."  
  
"He won't tell anyone what he did. But that's when it started, I'm almost positive of it."  
  
"Its just Thom being Thom he doesn't like anyone. How are you so sure it's Thom?"  
  
"It's been spreading out from Corus. The tribes closest to Corus have felt it first then the others. The ones closest feeling it the strongest, the ones further away less so and the very southern tribes not anything. They're feeling it in order of distance, Alanna. There are only a couple of people who could do that. I've spoken to the Masters up at the City of the Gods, discreetly and I haven't mentioned any names," he added hastily. "There are only four people in Corus at present who have enough power for it to be felt through most of Tortall: Thom, Uncle Gareth, you and I. The Masters say that it is a bi-product of a spell that requires a lot of power. A lot of power Alanna, a lot. You also said that he borrowed your gift on Hallows Eve. That was when it happened, and who else could have borrowed it?"  
  
"I'll try and find out what he is doing. If he will tell anyone, It would be me."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"No, but who is sure on anything?"  
  
"You say you are."  
  
"Yes, I do. When I am as sure about things as I could be. Life isn't certain but you have to make decisions."  
  
"Alanna it's called growing up."  
  
"I get the feeling we both have over the last year." She smiled coyly, "You more than I."  
  
He laughed, "Really? You think so!"  
  
"Yes," she glanced over at the sleeping toddler. "A lot of things have happened to you in the past year to make you grow up. Becoming a father, the Voice, it's changed you more than you could possible realise. You've always seemed royal but never as much as this." He looked down to try and hide his reddened cheeks.  
  
"You're embarrassing me now."  
  
She smiled, "I know it's fun." She stopped smiling and looked up at Jonathan seriously. "I still want to travel. That was always my plan. You know I was going to go south for the winter then head east when the spring came. I'm going to go south for the winter again. By spring she'll be a year, slow travelling but still easier than it is. We'll probably go to Tyra, safe enough, well mostly. Or we could just go where fate takes us."  
  
"I wouldn't see her again for a while would I?"  
  
"Everyone returns home eventually, Trebond hasn't been my home for a very long time. I just need some more time."  
  
"I can understand that, but what's keeping you away now?"  
  
"I want to live some more before I settle down."  
  
"You would think a baby would class you as settling down."  
  
"You would wouldn't you but remember I am a free spirit."  
  
"I remember. I have to go." He went over to the bed, where Sophia slept. "You'll tell me before you leave?"  
  
"Of course." He turned back to looking at Sophia sleeping peacefully. Smiling wistfully he smoothed back her short hair, kissing her forehead as a goodbye. 


	14. Gods

"Amara, we know what you've done." The speaker and listener were seemingly ageless.  
  
She turned her head from the ornate fountain. " And what exactly have I done Mithros?" She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow in query. He was not fooled. They had known each other their entire existence.  
  
"You gave her part of your essence. Do you fully realise what you have done?"  
  
"Yes, of course I do. I couldn't let the two of them die."  
  
"Amara, you changed her destiny!"  
  
"I have, but she could still complete her destiny."  
  
"You have turned her into a Ta-Hanou!"  
  
"Perhaps that is her destiny. You know just as much as I, that we do not know everything."  
  
"So that is why we have the rules Amara. You broke them. You know there has to be repercussions."  
  
"There always are. She was going to die. Imagine what would have happened if Alanna had been allowed to die?"  
  
"You would have been allowed to save Alanna. There should not have even been a child! We don't know how she happened. Can you explain it?" Amara stood from her seat on the fountain and paced in front of Mithros.  
  
She suddenly whirled round to stand in front of the God. "No," she looked into his eyes defiantly.  
  
"She is a Ta-Hanou, she will have a short life and a lot of power."  
  
"If she is worthy then she will have a long life. She has potential to be good," she said reasonably.  
  
"Everybody does, but those who find the power too much are not good. She would have had enough power for a mortal as it was, but now she is part god!"  
  
"Trouble is brewing in the mortal lands-"  
  
"She may be part of it, eventually."  
  
"May, Mithros, May! She won't have an easy life."  
  
"No, she won't-"  
  
"But I will keep an eye on her," she promised.  
  
"The council will have to agree, but there will be a penalty."  
  
"I know. I will take it."  
  
"It may not just affect you, it will most likely affect Sophia also." She nodded in resignation.  
  
"Then it will. At least she will have lived," she breathed. Looking up, "Every being with the potential to do good deserves to live."  
  
"Come sister, everyone is waiting." Putting his arm round her shoulders he led her out off the courtyard.  
"Amara you should have known better than to interfere like you have. You are aloud more leeway than the others, we know you have a soft spot for Alanna and that it was in your nature to help, but well-," up until now the woman's voice had been soft and disapproving. But now, "You should not have done anything!" she bellowed.  
  
"I am sorry."  
  
"If everyone agrees I think your punishment should be that you accept all responsibility." Amara frowned. Surely that isn't all of it, she thought. "The mess that comes of this is your responsibility. You have to clean up the mess, by following the rules and you will take full responsibility for her life. If she turns out evil, your responsibility!" Suddenly there was a flash of blinding white light.  
  
"Do you all agree?" The beautiful stranger asked. The only words to describe her were, breathtakingly beautiful. Her long, wavy, copper hair reached halfway down her back. Her perfectly flawless white skin, as pale as could be, was not what stuck out about her. It was her emerald green eyes that could look into your very soul.  
  
Her eyes looked around the 'courtroom' to get the fellow gods' assent, satisfied she said, "Very well. Then it is ruled." She made a quick clap.  
  
Smiling at everyone she lifted the hems of her skirts up to descend the dais. Amara or The Great Mother Goddess as she is sometimes known, rushed forward to help her mother. "You know it is always your father or I that visits, never any of you. It would not hurt any of you to come and see us," she muttered loudly.  
  
"Come daughter!" The redheaded woman, who appeared younger took Amara's arm and led her to the door.  
  
"Mother, does that mean that I am aloud to actively keep her in check?" She laughed, the most melodic thing ears could hear.  
  
"Out of all my daughters, you and I are most alike. I knew what you would have done, and I would have done the same."  
  
"Mother, are you the reason Sophia is alive?"  
  
"No, Amara. I believe you are," she smiled mischievously. Amara smiled in relief.  
  
"You are not angry?" she asked uneasily. Mother Flame turned to Amara and stopped her. She looked at her sympathetically, before gently pulling her head to her shoulder.  
  
"No, my dear. It is what I wanted you to do," she soothed. Mother Flame guided Amara over to sit on the fountain.  
  
"How long will you stay down here?"  
  
"As long as you need me. Isn't she a cute one?" Amara pulled out of her mother's embrace and looked at the picture in the fountain.  
  
The young toddler looked up from her black feline friend, giggling delightedly.  
  
"Cory looks like he is having a good time down there."  
  
"He volunteered to go down there. Alanna can get herself into a lot of trouble very easily."  
  
"Make sure she doesn't turn and your job will be halfway done." She stood kissing Amara lightly on the head, before calmly walking away the way they had entered. 


	15. the last chapter for a long time

Since someone asked about my spelling. I was meaning the allowed as in, are you allowed to do that? Instead of the, she spoke aloud.  
"Your Grace," she curtsied. She almost fell when Sophia wriggled round to see whom her mother was talking to. The two of them were in the Naxen townhouse to meet Duke Gareth.  
  
He stood. "Alanna! Sit down, sit down." Nervously she sat on the comfy armchair opposite the Duke. "Where did you learn to curtsy? And you're wearing a dress!"  
  
She smiled, " A friend taught me, sir. I wear dresses more when I'm in a city and an actual building." He smiled, before his attention went to the little girl.  
  
"Ah, so this is my infamous niece." He leaned forward to be more on her eyelevel. Sophia didn't appreciate it. Instead all he got was a blank stare.  
  
"I'm sorry Your Grace, she's being very difficult today. That was why we were late." Alanna said frowning. She took off the girl's cloak, but still she ignored them both.  
  
"Out of all my children Gareth was the most difficult."  
  
"Is he not still?" Sophia getting bored with her staring stuck her thumb in her mouth and looked out the window. The two adults looked at her again. "She has a tooth coming in, it could be that. But normally she whines more or she is just in a mood with me. It is probably that."  
  
"I have got her a present." Sophia's head snapped round when she heard the word present.  
  
"Your Grace, you should not have got her something."  
  
"Of course I should have. Sophia is my only grand-niece."  
  
"Would you like to hold her Your Grace?"  
  
"That would depend on whether she wants me to or not." Sophia didn't seem to mind being held by the Duke. Within seconds she warmed to him, babbling away in her own wee language. He handed the little girl a fabric doll the size of a forearm. The doll had long black wool hair; she wore a deep velvet green dress lightly decorated with gold embroidery.  
  
Alanna inclined her head in thanks. "Thank you for the gift, Your Grace. It is very beautiful." The little girl seemed pleased with the present.  
  
"So Alanna what is it like living with the Bazhir?"  
  
"It is very interesting, Your Grace. A completely different life." She smiled. "I'm a shaman there. I am not considered a knight there or Alan who is actually Alanna."  
  
"Do you know I had absolutely no idea? I just thought you were a private person, and then to find out you had a baby, that was a big shock."  
  
"It was for me as well Your Grace."  
  
"By my thinking you must have had Sophia just after you left."  
  
She shifted uncomfortably at where this line of questioning was going. "Yes, Your Grace. Three days after I left." She looked at the floor to avoid his eyes.  
  
"But you were not showing. By 7-8 months it would have been obvious, especially on you."  
  
"Yes, Your Grace."  
  
"Except it was not. When you were fighting Roger, everyone should have been able to see. How did you hide it? If you used magic it would have been too draining."  
  
"Yes, Your Grace, except I did not hide I was carrying. I did not know."  
  
"Who hid it then? And how could you not know?"  
  
"Your Grace, I try and avoid things that are emotionally too much, I run. She knew I would run when I found out. When I fell down the stairs I was dying. There was nothing Duke Baird could do for me."  
  
"I thought he healed you."  
  
"That was what everyone was told. Jonathan called upon the Goddess. She healed me and hid Sophia from me and everyone else. If I knew I would have left court and training, returned to Trebond."  
  
Duke Gareth looked her in the eye, "And Roger would still be alive."  
  
"Yes, Roger would still be alive.But the way things turned out, I would not alter a thing. Except, perhaps a few days warning instead of a few hours." Don't start talking about Roger, please! She thought.  
  
"I could see that being a shock," he remarked dryly. She looked shrewdly at him. He does have a sense of humour, she realised. This is getting into uncomfortable territory. She looked quickly away and saw that she had her cup of tea still on the table. She picked up the cup and sipped.  
  
"That was not a proper relationship between knight and squire!"  
  
What! She thought coughing as she tried not to choke on her tea. Please stop, she thought as she recovered. Her face was red but it wasn't from coughing. He was smiling slightly. This is fun, he realised. Sophia reached up and pulled his nose, babbling angrily. He gently pried her hand away from his nose, listening to what she was saying while Alanna recovered.  
  
"You are a shaman. I seem to remember an Alan who was very reluctant about going to magic classes."  
  
"Alan and Alanna were very afraid of magic."  
  
"And what happened?"  
  
"I saw that not using magic is more dangerous than using it."  
  
"A wise decision. How is your school coming?"  
  
"You know about the school Your Grace?"  
  
"In case you did not know Alanna, Gareth talks an awful lot. Everyone has tried to shut him up. Personally I have not really found anything very effective, but there are plenty of others who may have found something." Alanna laughed.  
  
"He is getting better Your Grace."  
  
"It has only taken 21 years."  
  
"The school is doing very well, Your Grace. I have left the school in the hands of two of my former students and some very wise shamans."  
  
"That is very good to hear. I do not think anybody could have predicted what would happen with the Bazhir. Peace. I would not have said we would have peace by now, ten year ago or last year even. The world is changing greatly. And I fear it will change even more greatly in the years to come, and it will not always be good."  
  
"Your Grace?" she was confused. He knows something that she does not.  
  
"Alanna, playing stupid does not become you. You can feel it just as I can. Trouble takes time to brew. In a country there will always be internal troubles. For years in Tortall there was fighting with the Bazhir. There is something coming. The chain of events will start soon and we will all see the result at the end of the decade, the beginning of the next."  
  
Alanna sat back in her chair thinking about what the Duke and Jonathan had said. A minute later a maid came in. She never noticed until the Duke said he had to leave.  
  
"I am very sorry Alanna, but I have to go. I have to get back to the training yard. This was the only time I could spare. I will see you again before you leave?"  
  
"Of course, Your Grace. Thank you for inviting the two of us."  
Sorry about that being boring. I have thought and decided to pause this part of my fic. Let's face it this is boring. I have about four important scenes that will take place over the next year in it but it needs to have lots of junk in between.  
  
We think and Sophia were just prequels to my series. I may finish this fic. I will probably come back to here occasionally to make the rest of the story fit more. Most of the important events have happened for the main story. Some of them have been missed out but the story can still be carried on without them.  
  
The next part of the story takes place when Sophia is fifteen. I think I have decided on a name for the next part, Kalia Smith. So look out for it. It should have more action and storyline to it. But I warn it is going to be epic long. 


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N **I've not updated in a very long time, so I'm very sorry, it's annoyed me for ages. Also sorry, if it doesn't quite flow with the previous parts: 1) I'm a lot older 2) I just glanced over the previous parts last night before I wrote this 3) a first draft of this was done about a year and a half ago and re-done so many times 4) I have a better idea of what the whole picture of these stories is.

I tried to upload last night but the document manager didn't work.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy and will try to keep this up during the summer.

Looking out of the window, towards one of the main streets, she watched people walk about their business: people on their way to collect bread before work; shop keepers on their way to work; and wagons, some pulled by ponies, some pulled by donkeys and some pulled by hand. The beginning of a market day was universally the same, or at least that's what she had thought, but Corus' market day felt different, she felt like she had came home. No longer as daunting as it had first appeared when she had ridden into the city ten years ago and her life changed forever more. She had known it would change, for good or for bad or a mixture of both, but she had never considered that ten years later she would be in an inn, paid for by the Crown Prince to put a roof over their illegitimate baby daughter, yet desperately missing the comfort and companionship of the most wanted man in Tortall. She laughed quietly to herself at the irony of it all, careful not to wake said sleeping daughter on the only bed in the room.

A gently knock roused her from her reverie. Uncurling herself from the chair by the window and readjusting the blanker that was keeping her warm, she padded barefoot over to the door lifting her knife from the mantle piece as she did so.

"Who is it?" she hissed.

"Me, 'Lanna!" she unlocked the wooden door and let her former lover and former knight master in. He closed the door behind him as she pulled her blanket tighter to herself, eyes automatically checking the sleeping girl was still sleeping soundly. She jerked her chin towards the two seats and the table that she had been sitting before he was at the door.

"You're here early," she whispered.

"I am sorry, did I wake you?" he said at an equally quiet volume, yet his voice was still rich and mesmerising, she thought sourly. She sighed softly; _He's one of your best friends Alanna, and given you a beautiful child. You resolved your issues the other day, stop being harsh! You love the man really, he's the reason you have Sophia. _

"No, you didn't, I was already up," she told him smiling, and to her surprise at this time in the morning it was genuine. The pep talk in her head had worked. "Did you miss her too much?" she teased.

"I missed the both of you."

"Jonathan-"

"I know, I know, but I can't help think that she deserves more from us, than being the result of an illicit affair between two friends," he told her, his whole body language saying that he was distraught, his eyes full of anguish. She opened her mouth to tell him that she didn't want to discuss this again and that she thought that she had made it clear how she felt yesterday. Her eyes met his and she paused.

"You've really thought about this haven't you?"

"Yes, I've thought this for a while, but I was not going to say anything."

"What made you change your mind?"

"If I didn't say it now, there wouldn't be another time. I want to be able to show her and her mother that they weren't an adolescent blunder, that I threw money at for it to go away."

"On no account would you ever try to pay us off. I've never said that I felt that way, and I don't feel that way. We were young, still are, and for most of our time together it was good, more than good at times, it could be brilliant," she said smiling coyly. "I don't see how we could have a happy life together."

"I don't think I can either, but what about for her? She'll find out the truth eventually, how do you think she'll see all of this then?"

"She'll know her parents love her, and loved each other, and that they did what they thought was best."

"She'll know _you_ love her. She'll have your name. She'll live in your house. It feels like all she'll have from me is her eyes. Is that best for her? The only detail linking her to me will be a similarity, nothing official, and nothing legal, just a secret."

"Jon," she reached out to take his hand and saw that tears were glistening in his eyes.

"My mother is dying Alanna and I know that my father will follow her within the year. Then it will just be me."

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," he said, quietly rising. He walked across to the bed and knelt, tenderly tucking a lock of the little girl's hair behind her ear. She stirred slightly, but settled quickly after putting her thumb in her mouth. His hand still on her head, he tenderly kissed the top of it.

Alanna knelt beside him on the wooden floor, putting her arms around his waist. Jonathan startled, not having been aware that she was beside him. His arms fitted easily around the petite but muscularly woman.

"I do need to say something. You have a daughter and friends, an aunt and uncle and their family that all love you and will be there for you."

"She should have had my name," he breathed.

"As soon as Sophia is known publicly as your daughter she becomes a target."

"I know, but…if she is legally an heir then she and her descendants will be provided for and be connected. There is security in that; her life does not rely on an advantageous marriage. It gives her choices. The truth always comes out. Why should she be denied a 'birthright'? " he said dispassionately, a wry smile appearing at the end.


End file.
